Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — In January 17, 2026, a woman later identified as Caroline Matautia was taken into custody by police following an alleged assault on a woman in the village of Vaitogi during the early hours of Saturday morning.

The suspect was later arrested and charged as follows:

Count 1: Assault in the Third Degree, a class A misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to one year, a fine of $1,000, or both imprisonment and fine; and,

Count 2: Public Peace Disturbance, a class B misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to six months, a fine not to exceed $500, or both.

The defendant was held without bail.

According to the police affidavit, filed on Jan. 21st in the District Court, authorities received a call reporting that a woman had been assaulted and had fled to a friend’s residence for safety.

Officers responded to the area and made contact with the reporting party and the victim. Officers observed that the victim appeared distressed and was crying. She had visible injuries to her face, including a cracked lip and redness around her facial area.

Photographs of the injuries were taken by police to document the victim’s condition at the time of contact.

The reporting party informed officers that she had been resting at home when the victim suddenly arrived at her residence crying and asking for help. She said she immediately noticed the injuries on the victim’s face and lip. Due to the emotional state of the victim, she initially struggled to explain what had happened. The victim later provided a verbal statement to police.

She explained that she had been walking toward her friend’s house while carrying an iPad that belonged to her children for schoolwork. While walking, she was approached by the suspect, who asked her where she was going and questioned whose iPad she was holding.

The victim stated that she told the suspect she was on her way to her friend’s house and that the iPad belonged to her children. She further explained that the device contained her children’s photos and school-related materials.

According to the victim, the suspect then walked closer to her and accused her of lying. The victim told police she attempted to assure the suspect that she was telling the truth and even offered to show her the contents of the iPad as proof. Despite this, the victim alleged that the suspect suddenly struck her in the face with a closed fist.

The victim stated that the suspect punched her two more times, causing her to fall to the ground. While she was on the ground, the suspect allegedly kicked her three times in the waist area. The victim said she cried out for help during the attack.

She further reported that the suspect’s boyfriend intervened and pulled the suspect away from her. After the attack stopped, the victim got up and quickly walked to her friend’s house to seek help and report the incident.

The victim provided officers with a description of the suspect’s clothing. She also told police that the suspect and her boyfriend were still in the area where the assault had taken place.

Based on the information provided, officers proceeded to search the nearby area for the suspect. While traveling toward the location identified by the victim, officers observed three individuals — one female and two males — walking in the opposite direction.

Police noted that the female matched the description given by the victim. Officers stopped the group and asked whether they had any knowledge of an incident that occurred approximately 30 to 40 minutes earlier. The individuals told police they had been at their home and had only come out into the village because they were concerned about possible theft in the area.

Officers then asked the female individual to accompany them to the location where the victim was waiting, in order to determine whether she was the person involved in the assault. The group returned to the area where the victim was located.

Upon seeing the woman, the victim immediately identified her as the person who had assaulted her. Based on the victim’s identification and the earlier statements, police apprehended the suspect.

The suspect was transported to the Tafuna Police Substation (TPS) for further investigation and questioning.

The suspect was Mirandized and acknowledged that she understood her rights before providing a verbal statement to police.

In her statement, Caroline Matautia claimed that she and others had been outside in front of their home smoking cigarettes when the victim walked into Vaitogi from Ili‘ili.

She said the victim was already crying when she saw her.

Matautia told police that she asked the victim whether she was okay and questioned whose iPad she was carrying. According to her account, the victim replied that the iPad belonged to her child. Matautia stated that she then said “okay” and that the conversation ended there. She denied physically assaulting the victim.

Despite the suspect’s statement, police proceeded with the case based on the victim’s account, physical injuries, and identification of the suspect at the scene.

Matautia was formally booked and confined at the Tafuna Correctional Facility pending her appearance before the District Court.

The defendant is identified as a 25-year old U.S National.

[Editor’s Note: An affidavit is a written statement confirmed by oath or affirmation for use as evidence in court. It is not a court decision. Under local law, defendants are considered innocent until proven guilty by the court. ra]